Process for making a coated glass sheet



Oct. 24, 1939. NASH PROCESS FOR MAKING A COATED GLASS SHEET Filed July 17, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l {N VE N TOR HA? Tin/R 0- Nns H HTTORNE VJ.

Oct. 24, 1939. NASH 2,177,000

PROCESS FOR MAKING A COATED GLASS SHEET Filed July 1'7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VE'N 702 A72 THUR 0. Alma H Wan/aw HTT N5 M6 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,171,000 I PRocEss roa mxmo A COATED cmss SHEET Arthur D. Nash, Sewlckley, Pa., asslg'nor to Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 17, 1936, Serial No. 91,067

3 Claims.

The invention relates to a process of making a glass sheet by a continuous operation and more particularly a glass sheet from a molten bath of clear glass and providing it with a vitreous coloring material which will in most cases form one of the surface layers of the sheet, although the coloring material may be mixed through the body of the sheet or may be applied so as to give a colored film or layer on both sides of the sheet. The invention has for its principal objects the provision of an improved process which may be practiced to produce colored sheet glass at a very low cost and of a high quality as compared with processes heretofore used in which colored glazes are applied to clear glass sheets after such sheets have been fabricated in the usual way. Another object is the provision of a process which permits the use of colored glazes having a melting point approximating that of standard plate and window glass, so that the glaze has the same resistance to weathering as the clear glass. A further object is the provision of a process which can be applied in connection with usual apparatus required in the production of plate and window glass, and in which a shift from one color to another and from a clear to a colored product may be made at any time without wastage and without interrupting the operation, thus permitting the one apparatus to produce any type of glass which may be required, and only in the quantity required. A still further object is the provision of a process permitting the production of unusual color eifects and combinations of colors in wide variety, as will be readily understood from the description following and the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings for carrying out the process, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through one form of the apparatus on the line II of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view. And Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical sections through modifications.

Referring to the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 9 indicates the outlet end of a glass melting tank, and I0 is a forehearth or extension connected to the melting tank. The forehearth is in part covered by the refractory members II and I2 and the L-blocks I3 and M, the latter being separated to provide a space for the drawing of the glass sheet l5. This sheet is drawn up continuously through a Fourcault leer I 6 provided with the driven rolls I! which grip the sides of the sheets. Beneath the line of .draw of the glass sheet is the draw bar l8 and on either side of the glass sheet are the coolers l8, IS. The structure as thus far described is well known in the art and is used for the continuous product of window glass.

Located to the rear of the block l3 between such block and the cover member H is a slot 20 extending across the width of the forehearth, and 6 in carrying out the process to which the present invention relates, a colored glazing material is fed continuously onto the molten bath where it floats and is carried forward by the movement of the surface glass until it becomes incorporated 10 as the surface layer of the sheet l5. Contrary to what might be expected, this coloring matter remains in the surface layer of glass and does not become noticeably dissipated throughout the main body of glass in the forehearth l0, so that 15 after any desired period of colored glass production, the feed of coloring material may be discontinued and the production may be shifted to ordinary uncolored window glass, or the feed to the bath of another color glaze may be substituted. 20 The coloring matter in this instance is preferably a granular colored glass which has about the same coeflicient of expansion and melting point as the glass of the main bath. Such high melting glass has practically the same meltingqualities as win- 25 dow glass, so that the colored layer of glass as produced by the present process has a surface durability much in excess of that present in glasses which are glazed on one side by processes well known in the art employing an enamel having 30 a low melting point. The glazing material may vary in size and is preferably not a powder or dust, as such powder or dust is objectionable due to its dissipation into the atmosphere above the tank, which in the courseof time produces a 35 discoloration of the main body of glass. The coloring agent may also consist of ordinary glass frit mixed with coloring material.

Suitable means are illustrated above the cover II for giving a uniform measured feed of the in coloring material. This feeder apparatus is carried by a platform 2| provided with wheels 22 running upon the flanges of the channels 23 and 24, such channels being in turn supported upon the upright superstructure members 25. This 45 platform carries a series'of hoppers 26, each holding a body of the glazing material. These hoppers discharge to a plurality of troughs 2i placed side by side, as indicated in Fig. 2, such -troughs increasing in width from their rear to 50 their front ends. The troughs are supported upon the strips or plates 28 of spring material, and one-of these plates carries an electrically operated vibrator 29. Under the influence of this vibrator, the material discharged into the troughs 21 at thebottoms of the hoppers is fed along the bottoms of such troughs in uniform layers and discharges through the slot 20. Feeders of this kind are well known in other arts, and may be regulated to give any desired volume of feed depending upon the operation of the vibrator and upon the amount of discharge permitted from the hopper to the trough. The discharge from each trough spreads out, as indicated by the dotted lines 3]! in Fig, 2, as the glass moves forward so that by the time the colored material reaches the meniscus of the sheet It the entire area which is drawn into the sheet is covered by the glaze. The thickness of this glaze will depend upon the character of the coloring material and the quantity which is fed onto the surface of the glass.

In order to still further insure a uniform distribution of the coloring material from the various troughs 21, the platform 2| is provided with means shown in Fig. 2 for moving it back. and forth during the feeding operation. This means comprises a motor 3| supported on the superstructure above the level of the platform and carrying upon its shaft a cam 32 provided with a slot 33. This slot is engaged by a cam roller 34 secured to the platform, so that the rotation of the cam by the motor reciprocates the platform back and forth longitudinally of the slot III, thus giving a uniform distribution of .the coloring material over the surface of the bath.

Fig. 3 illustrates a ,modiflcatiomin'which the feed ofcolored glazing materiaiis supplied through a slot 35 between the cover member .36

and the L-block 31, the construction in other respects following that of-Fig. "1. Thefeed in this case is to the side of the sheet away from the melting tank, instead of to the. side adjacent the melting tank asi'n' the case of Fig. 1. The feeder 38 in this'casesis similar to that heretofore described in connection with Fig. .1. It will be' understood in this connection, that if desired. the coloring material'may' be fed to the surface of the glassonboth sides of thefline'of draw, and in some cases, it may be desirable to produce 1 glass of this character. Ordinarily, however,- it is. suiiicient for most purposes to producefglass hav ing a colored layer or film on one side only.

Such glass may ,be used to advantage in many, ways, such as fOljglB-SSTOOflllg, shingles. table tops, or for paneling in rooms or in connection with partitions.

Here a glass-shee {is fed continuously-from a slot 40 and twejen'a pair of water cooled sizt; the glass being subsequently carhorizontal leer. The forehearth is, in this; case,"connected at its left hand end to 'a suitable glass melting tank and {is provided with a cover, 4 3 having a slot throughwhich "colored glazing materialis supplied; Such rnaterial is fed fromatrough 45, or a series "of troughs similar to those described in connection. with the apparatus of Figs. land 2, the. feeding de-; vices being carried iupon the movable platform 46 as heretofore described. I with this apparatus, as with the one heretofore described,.t he production of a sheet having a colored surface may be discontinued'at any time'and some. other color" substituted on f the production may revert to ordinary plate glass,'thus making I the apparatus l I become fully'fusedjuntil.it approaches the; me-.- niscus of the sheet and-any tendency of the coatk such surface a layerofi unfused vitreous 'glazing 2. A method of making a glasssheetwhichconsists in withdrawing a;sheet=continuoilslyifronra' I, c I I molten bath of-clear glass in -.such= manner' that' 1 .4 illustrates another modification, inwhich the process 5 app ied to the 'manufac'tin'e or? I I I relative to the bodyoffithefbath .as' plate glass by 'the'isoecalled Gelstharp process;

formed, and applying continuously face a-layer of unfusedvitreous 1a which is fused on the surface'iaof th face of .amolten bath;.of. clea gla surface glass moves forwar y I ccrporat'ed intov the sheet and -appl'yi a body of unfused colored glazing rnaterialfwhich fuses on the surface: "of'fthe., hathand remain'sfan all-purpose one and avoiding waste in shifting from one glass to another.

I am aware that it has been proposed, heretofore, tosupply the surface of a glass bath with 1 molten colored glass from an auxiliary tank 5 which glass spreadsover the surfaceof the bath from which a sheet is drawn to produce a sheet of clear glass having a colored layer ormm on one side, but the method herein presents-subst'antial advantages over such prior method. One

7 advantage lies in the kind of equipment required thebath, because of its low viscosity, so that the colors produced on the drawn sheet arevery thin and transparent. When applied'insolid divided form, as here proposed,'a thicker less-transparent coat of the colored glass is possible, and'itliseven practicable by regulating the pointorappucaaonw of the divided materialand its compositionandi degree of fineness, to-=produce a, jsheet:rwith :a coating layer which has a somewhat, roughenedk surface to give an art glass for special'usesl. In" such cases, the solid vitreous material does not ing material to be diffused to-those portions of the bath in which it would be obj ectionable correspondingly reduced.

WhatIclaim ist' I A method 'of making a-' glass sheet which consists in' withdrawing "a sheet continuously from a molten bath of clearglas'sin such -fman her that the surface glass'inthebath moves forwardly relative'tothe bodyof the bath the sheet is formed, and applying continuously :to

material which is" fusedonthe surface ,of the' layer of one side of the'sheet.-.:

.bath and remains'the'reon land" forms fthe s' 'iirf ace the surface glass in the bathgmovesfogiwardlyfi remains thereon and forms the 'surfac v la'yerjnf one side of the sheet, said. gIaaingniaterial being Y colored andofless speciflcgravity than. the "glass I of the bath to prevent its difi 0 downwardly therethrough." l j 3. A method ofmaking a glass sheet which sists in drawingfa sheet verticall face of the bath on one. side to 'th thereon until it r aches man dmwandjsmII I II corp0rate .1 to t I I thereof. y 

